George Patterson, Basketball (1958-61)
This hall of fame inductee is someone that Rocket fans knew simply as "Big George" back in his playing days. Mr. George Patterson was the starting center on the UT basketball teams of 1958-1961. Those three Rocket teams, under the direction of Eddie Melvin, won 44 games and lost only 27. They begin the string of twenty-six consecutive winning seasons which Coach Bob Nichols has perpetuated the last twenty years. One of the persons who nominated George Patterson for the Hall of Fame did so with these words: "Very aggressive and a good rebounder, one of the best big men I have ever seen at UT and I've been watching Rocket games since 1945." George was a good shooter, he shot 44 percent from the field and 65 percent from the foul line for his career but he was a great rebounder, one of UT's all time best. He had his 755 career rebounds and averaged almost 11 per game (by way of comparison, it has been ten years since any UT rebounder averaged in double figures). At the same time George had 774 career points and averaged just a shade fewer than 11 pointes per game. After leaving UT, George Patterson played basketball for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. He also played with his hometown Pittsburgh Rens of the Old American Basketball Association. After his playing career ended, George began a career in the Toledo Public Schools as a teacher and coach.
